What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
by hyoidbone
Summary: Cosima and Delphine introduce Sarah to their college, Rachel.
1. I Will Bruise Your Lips

It took a long time to convince Sarah that Rachel wasn't a robotic clone without any feelings.

So when Sarah was sitting in on Rachel's couch in her apartment, all the way to one side, it was obvious she hadn't gotten as far as she wanted. The amount of space Sarah left on the couch left her alienated, sitting barely within arm's reach of someone she wanted to be closer.

"Why did you have to pick a horror movie?" Cosima complains, leaning in to Delphine as she is tugged closer to the French woman's body.

Rachel glanced over at the two with a shrug before she dimmed the lights and sat down on the couch, leaving space for both she and Sarah.

"It is just what we decided on earlier," Delphine says. "It's not even scary. Look, it's an old one. Surely this cannot be scary?"

Cosima rolled her head until it rested on Delphine's shoulder, her body turned for ease to hide her eyes if she needed. Delphine laughed softly before she pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Rachel watched with a bit of a smile.

"I thought you of all people would like horror films, Cos," Sarah jokes.

"Yeah? And why is that?" Cosima spits, glaring at Sarah before Delphine tugs her close.

"Easy there, killer," she tries, watching as Cosima tensed and Delphine squeezed her hand. Sarah knew she got under her skin sometimes and enjoyed it far more than she should. She never knew having a sister-clone would have been so much fun.

There was a moment the two stared at each other before they both cracked and laughed. Rachel relaxes a little and leans back into the couch, her gaze turning from Cosima to Sarah and finally the gap between them. She remains stoic even in their present environment, afraid to spook Sarah further away. It's quiet between the four of them and she takes that as an initiative to start the movie. A bright glare of black and white shines from the television hanging on the wall, lighting their faces with dancing shadows of old film.

Cosima shrieked a few times, hiding her eyes behind Delphine. Sarah made fun of her about it a few times. Rachel had gotten up for something to drink and sat down without Sarah noticing her proximity. The distance between them had significantly shortened to the point she could feel Rachel tense during a "scary" part of the movie. It wasn't as dramatic as Cosima but enough that she could tell Rachel didn't care for them either.

By the end of the movie, however, only Sarah and Cosima were the ones wide awake. Delphine's eyes were half mast, groaning as she was shaken by her girlfriend and informed they were to leave soon. Rachel had fallen asleep completely, leaning against Sarah's arm with her own hands tucked between the cushions.

"Y'all right?" Cosima asks Sarah while she pulled Delphine to stand, wrapping an arm around her waist for support.

"Yeah, yeah," Sarah replies but she doesn't move. "I'll wake her and get her to bed. You might wanna get her to bed too before she falls out, yeah?"

"Okay. Y'sure?"

Sarah nods, letting Cosima lead Delphine out with their things. In the meantime, she offers Rachel a little shake to rouse her.

"Mmm," she groans, shifting to the right and away from Sarah.

"Oi, wake up," Sarah instructs but her voice is quiet.

"Okay, okay," Rachel murmurs, brushing back her tousled hair. After a glance around the room through sleepy eyes, she jerks and scoots a few inches further away. "What time is it? Did Cosima and Delphine leave?"

"It's… almost midnight. And yeah, they left. You and Delphine fell asleep."

"Why didn't you leave?"

Sarah's lips twisted in a frown and she shrugged.

Rachel ran her hands across her face, unable to stifle a yawn.

"Come on. Let's get you to bed. Might wanna cut back on the wine next time."

She tried to laugh but instead her cheeks burned. Her fingers laced between Sarah's to be pulled up, doing her best to remain upright and balanced. She mumbled a quiet _thank you_ while they made their way to her bedroom.

"Yeah, no. No problem. I had fun though why did you vote on a horror film if you don't like them?"

"I do like them!" Rachel replies in defense. "Delphine and I had been talking and it just…"

Sarah's head tilted, eyes narrowing together as Rachel tried to explain herself.

"You're right. I abhor horror films."

"Okay…"

"Thanks for coming," she tells her, the weight of explanation heavy on her tongue.

"Next time we can watch a movie we both like."

Rachel turned her head, looking back at Sarah. _We?_ she wanted to ask but she held her thought and nodded instead.

"Lock the door behind me on the way out, yeah?"

She nodded as Sarah turned and left the apartment.

* * *

Sarah sat across from Cosima, her foot kicking at the table leg repetitively. Cosima would sigh loudly, look up, and tilt her head to the left and it was usually enough to get Sarah to stop but this time she was staring off somewhere else. Her head was propped up with her chin in her hands, completely unaware that she was getting a death stare.

"Sarah!"

She jerked, looking toward Cosima.

"Stop that."

"What?"

"You're kicking the damn table. Again. I can't think straight when you do it."

"I don't think you can think straight… _ever_."

"Fuck you."

Sarah grins, tucking her feet beneath the chair to try and still her movements.

"You never did tell me what happened after we left Rachel's the other night."

"What do you mean, what happened?" Sarah asks, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"You know. She fell asleep on you and you put her to bed. You can't tell me that was it."

"Of course that was it. Why wouldn't it be?"

Cosima smirks and shakes her head. She dropped her gaze to her papers and ignores the question.

"Nothing happened," she confesses. "I woke her up and I left. That was it."

"Well, sounds like a boring date to me."

"It wasn't a date. What the hell, Cosima? You two were there, too."

Cosima doesn't reply, focusing on her work. Sarah was about to object again when Delphine came into the lab.

"Hey Cosima," she whispers, leaning to kiss her cheek. "Sarah."

"Sarah was just telling me about her _boring_ date with Rachel."

"Oh?"

"No, Sarah was not," she growls, looking to Cosima. "It was just the four of us watching a movie, yeah? Just because… you know what, forget it."

"Oh, come now Sarah, we're just joking," Cosima rolls her eyes, leaning into Delphine.

She leaned back into her chair, pushing against the table so she was propped up haphazardly on two legs. Sarah was hoping for the end of it but as if on cue, Rachel walks through the door.

"Just who I was looking for," she announces, looking first to Delphine before her eyes traveled to Sarah. "Oh. I didn't know you were here."

Sarah raised her eyebrows and dropped the chair to four legs quickly.

"What is it?" Delphine asks, turning toward Rachel while her arms drop to her side.

"You're needed as a second pair of eyes on a case—trying to find a vehicle of transport for a weakened immune system."

"Dr. Higgins?"

Rachel nods. Delphine gives Cosima a quick kiss then departs the room.

"We were just talking about the other night," informs Cosima.

Sarah was looking down at her feet, hunched over in her chair, but she couldn't place the reason behind the need.

"I see. It was fun."

"Come on, you fell asleep by the end of the movie. Which was awful. And scary. Can't we pick something else next time?"

"Of course," Rachel replies and glances toward Sarah, still looking at her feet. She frowns.

"Yeah, absolutely," Sarah finally pipes up, lifting her gaze to the two of them.

There is a moment of awkward silence. Cosima goes back to her work and Rachel shrugs, offering her departure, and left.

"You're such a bitch, Sarah," she whispers when the door is shut.

"What the hell?"

"She totally likes you."

Sarah scoffs and she shakes her head.

"You are _so_ blind,_" _she complains, rolling her eyes.

"Piss off," Sarah retorts, shoving her weight back in the chair.

She didn't know why she was so upset about it but the rest of her time in the lab was awkward. She excused herself a little while later, leaving Cosima to her work and Sarah to explore the rest of the building until she decided to go home.

* * *

Somehow, in the maze of hallways and elevators and doors, Sarah got herself lost. She spent the first ten minutes trying to figure out how she got on a floor five above Cosima's lab, standing in a lobby with wide open spaces and windows that offered a widescreen view of the city. There was a heavy feeling in her stomach as she stepped up and looking over the city as if it could do no harm to her here.

"Sarah?"

She tenses and slowly turns around. The voice did not betray her when she saw Rachel standing there with a clipboard tucked under her arm.

"Lost?"

"Um, yeah."

"All right. Follow me," Rachel instructs, pivoting backward and heading toward the elevator. It was familiar to Sarah but she wasn't entirely sure which way she had or hadn't come.

"Thanks."

Rachel leaned in and pushed the button to the elevator, waiting for it to arrive. She glanced toward Sarah who was looking the other direction but didn't seem nearly as patient. Agitated, maybe. Frustrated.

The elevator door opened and she stepped to the side, allowing Sarah to step in first. When the door closes, she presses the _L_ for the lobby. The doors closed behind them and shifted, taking them downward for an awkward ride. Sarah had her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans and Rachel fidgeted with the edges of paper attached to her clipboard. There was a quiet ding and the doors opened once more, giving Sarah the chance for escape.

"Hey, Sarah?"

"Yeah?" she asks, turning around. Rachel was still in the elevator, standing in the way of the doors.

"Go on a date with me."

Sarah blinks, taken aback by the question—no, _request—_that she realizes she hadn't answered.

"I'll pick you up at eight, tomorrow night."

"Yeah, okay," Sarah stammers, bobbing her head before she catches up to the conversation. The doors had already shut Rachel inside, leaving her standing in the middle of the lobby dumbfounded.


	2. and Scar Your Knees

NOTE: I rearranged the chapter so if you haven't looked back at chapter one since I first posted, please check back over it. I'll delete this note in about a week.

* * *

"'Eeey, what'd I tell ya?"

"Oh, quiet you," Sarah retorts and shoving Cosima in the shoulder.

"You can't deny it, Sarah. You're going on a date with her. I told you she liked you."

Sarah half smiled, looking herself in the mirror. Cosima was leaning against the doorframe, watching her process of getting ready. It was a process she had seen a number of times and rarely did it change. Tonight was no different but she wished it would be. Just something. A different stroke of eyeliner or a way she set her hair. Rachel was essentially her boss in a roundabout way and she didn't want this to go the wrong way.

_Oh god,_ she thinks, _what have I done?_

"Are you not excited?" Cosima asks.

Sarah looks at Cosima's reflection through the mirror, shrugging her shoulder as she finished up her eyeliner.

"Really?" she complains, head cocking to the side.

"Cosima, do you wanna go on the date with her? I denno Delphine would care for that, yeah?"

"Okay, okay," she retreats, lifting her hands defensively. "I was just trying to make conversation."

Sarah lifted a brow before she broke into a smile, closing up the makeup case and tucking it away. She wouldn't admit it, but she was nervous. The more she had gotten to know Rachel, the more she knew she couldn't turn around, and each step forward she knew she was putting things at risk.

"Just don't fuck it up."

"Cosima," Sarah breathes, putting a hand gently on the side of her face. "You shouldn't be so worried. It'll be fine. She can't fire you if our date goes sour, yeah?"

"You've met her, right?" she asks, grinning.

They both turn their head as the doorbell sounded. Sarah's mouth gaped but she clicked her teeth together when Cosima turned to her.

"What are you doing? Go!"

"Watch it, will ya?" she blurts as Cosima shoves her out of the bathroom and down the hall. She opened the door and Rachel stood on the other side. "Hey," she says quietly, smiling.

"Good evening."

"Thanks for watching Kira, Cos," she calls back, Cosima waving to both of them. Rachel nodded her head in greeting and Sarah closed the door behind her as she stepped out.

From the outside, everything went smoothly. The driver of the dark vehicle opened the door for both of them. Rachel let Sarah in first and she slipped in behind her. It was spacious and dimly lit and Rachel looked proud of herself even though her expression had a faint hint of a smile.

"Don't tell me I'm underdressed for tonight," Sarah whines, shifting in the leather seat to face her.

"You look fine," Rachel confirms but it was a world of difference between their wardrobes. Sarah predominantly wearing black—tight trousers and a shirt that conformed to her body, a thin jacket just in case—and Rachel wearing colors, albeit dark—a thin top and a skirt that mimicked what she wore on a daily basis.

Rachel pushed a button in the back of the vehicle, signaling the driver to go. The car turned to life and they pulled away from the curb.

"I thought we would start with dinner," she explains, smiling as she turned to Sarah.

Sarah nods but she felt a little out of place. The driver, what she was wearing, dinner? She leaned back into the seat and crossed one leg over the other and decided to let Rachel guide them through the rest of the evening.

Dinner was pleasant. Rachel reserved the entire restaurant which didn't surprise Sarah. It was exactly the over the top first date she expected but didn't necessarily want. She didn't mention it while they ate but as they left Sarah couldn't stop her fingers from reaching out for her hand. They weren't speaking when they approached the car and all she heard was the sound of cars up and down the street and the quiet click of Rachel's heels on the cement.

"I enjoyed dinner," Sarah admits as they approach the car, pulling against Rachel's arm gently. It was enough to get her to stop but she didn't turn. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble just so we would be alone."

"I wanted to impress you," Rachel confesses.

"You've already done that," Sarah tells her, carefully seizing her arm so she turns around and faces her. It catches Rachel off guard but Sarah doesn't let her go, instead leaning her against the side of the car and pressing their lips together.

"Did I?" Rachel grins through the kiss, her fingers curling around the back of her neck and in one fell swoop she spins her around so Sarah is against the car. She molds her body into her while Sarah's hands move up her thigh, feeling over the fabric of her skirt before pushing between her legs.

"Absolutely," she murmurs while Rachel reaches around and opens the door to the car. Sarah is encouraged inside and Rachel settling in close to her. She began to fumble with her coat, shoving it off her shoulder. "I hope you didn't have anything planned after this."

She did but she didn't speak up, too wrapped up in everything that was Sarah. Her scent, the gentle flutter of her eyelids as their lips touched, and the sound she made when her throat was kissed. A symphony of sounds she could listen to all night. Sarah's jacket was off and she made an attempt to slip her fingers beneath her shirt but she was stopped before her efforts were rewarded. With a confused tilt of her head, Sarah had come from her seat and pushed Rachel back into the leather.

Rachel was reluctant but allowed the manipulation of her body, the assertiveness enough to put an end to her thoughts. Her knees were nudged apart; gentle fingers bunched up the fabric of her skirt to her hips, and pushed through the cloth that separated her skin from freedom. She sucked in a short breath as Sarah moved in a way that brought her up, her hand cupping and forming to Rachel's mound as her fingers curved inward to explore foreign territory.

Sarah's other arm supported her on the seat so she connect her lips with Rachel's mouth in a hard kiss, wanting to own her breath. She was pleased as she received it, a moan rumbling through Rachel's chest and her breathing increased with each stroke of her fingers. Her tempo changed when Rachel made a subtle change—when her breathing increased she would slow and when it became ragged and strangled, she would quicken—and each new turn brought her closer to the edge only to be greeted with another change that stopped her short and left her frustrated. She squirmed and her hips bucked to meet Sarah's thrusts in order to find a steady source of pleasure.

Teeth connected with Rachel's neck, Sarah grinding downward on her flesh while she used her thumb on her clit and her fingers reaching new depths that—after what felt like an eternity of hindrance—brought an orgasm washing over her.

She breathed heavily, head resting against the back of the seat. Sarah was still on her knees between her legs, running her hands gently over Rachel's trembling thigh. She rolled her head to the side and peered out the tinted window while the silhouette of Sarah's house formed.

"How long have we been parked out here?"

Sarah followed Rachel's gaze and as soon as she saw her house, she jerked and pushed herself up. "Shite," she curses, but she was pulled back to the seat when Rachel's fingers looped around hers and made her sit.

"It's all right, Sarah," Rachel coos, leaning into her.

"Yeah? And if they—"

"What? If they saw? Sarah, the windows are tinted dark enough that no one can see in."

She nods, slowly, still unsure. She was focused on the front of her home, looking for any sign of Cosima or Kira but she only saw the faint illumination of the front porch. It was enough to ease her for the moment and the gentle squeeze of her hand made her turn to look at her date.

"I had fun," she says after squeezing Sarah's hand once more and leaning in to kiss her.

"I know," Sarah grins, returning the kiss. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

Rachel nods and slowly lets her hand go. The driver had already gotten out of the car and opened the door. Sarah's eyes widened, having forgotten him, but she grins again as she glances back at Rachel whose cheeks were turning a soft red.

When she was in the house, shrugging her shoulders to remove her jacket—which she never put back on—and realized it was still in the car.

"Hey!" Cosima calls, nearly jumping her way down the stairs.

"Hey. She asleep?"

"Yeah. About half an hour ago."

Sarah nods, lifting her hand to rub her forehead.

"How was it?"

"It was good. She uh, definitely went all out—reserved the entire restaurant."

"Oh, _fancy._"

Sarah laughs and shoves her shoulder, moving further in the house to sit down.

"Is that all you guys did? Dinner? No movie? Strolls in the park?" Cosima asks as she rummages through her bag for a half smoked roach.

"Yeah, though I le—hey! No. Not in here."

Cosima frowns but drops the blunt back into the bag without question and shrugs apologetically.

"I left my jacket in her car, though. I'll have to go by there tomorrow to get it."

"How'd you leave yo—" she began but Sarah shook her head. "Oh," Cosima adds, lifting an eyebrow curiously but she doesn't fish for anymore answers. Instead, she steps back when her phone beeps. "That's Delphine."

"Thanks for watching her, Cos'," Sarah says again.

"Any time," she replies before grabbing her bag and darting out the front door.

Sarah is left to think quietly to herself, later dozing off after the satisfying evening.


End file.
